NIGHT WORKS AND DETOUR FOR GYMPIE BYPASS WORKS

May 5, 2023

Motorists on the Bruce Highway may experience detours and minor delays in May with night works scheduled to take place to progress the construction of the $1 billion Gympie bypass.

Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien is advising motorists to take care and expect a major detour of the Bruce Highway at Woondum, as two dual lane bridges are constructed at the new interchange site.

The work at Woondum will take place intermittently between Sunday 14 May and Friday 9 June, while the two new 100 metre dual lane bridges have their concrete barriers, guardrails, and pavement installed.

This work will be undertaken between 7pm and 5am, and during this period, southbound traffic on the Bruce Highway will be detoured onto the Old Bruce Highway between Woondum and the Traveston interchange, where the Puma Service Centre is located.

Motorists should ensure that they follow the directional signage, drive to the changed conditions, and allow extra travel time.

An additional two new 100 metre bridges will also be constructed to carry the new bypass alignment over Upper Curra Creek, with night works required to deliver the concrete bridge girders to the site.

Over four consecutive nights from Tuesday 9 May to Friday 12 May, between 6am and 6pm, the girders will be transported via Harvey Siding and Bradys Roads at Curra.

It is important that motorists follow the guidance of road crews and observe any lowered speed limits in place while this work takes place.

Section D, the four lane 26 Kilometre realignment of the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra is set to open in late 2024 and will bypass Gympie, eliminating eight sets of traffic lights.

The Bruce Highway will then be a flood proof four-lane divided highway from Brisbane to north of Gympie, which will reduce travel time, improve safety, and increase freight efficiency.

In 2018 the former Coalition Government allocated $800 million for the Gympie bypass as part of the Bruce Highway four lane Cooroy to Curra upgrade, which has been rated as one of the deadliest stretches along our national highway.

WELCOME TO WIDE BAY

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I acknowledge our defence force personnel, past, present, and emerging, for their service to our nation, and particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of Australia.

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